Fastener



June 7, 1938.

D. A. BRENNAN .FASTENER,

Filed Aug. 18, 1930 Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES FASTENER Daniel A. Brennan, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 18, 1930, Serial No. 476,058

In Canada September 23, 1929 15 Claims.

The invention relates. to improvements in fasteners for binding papers together, such as letters in a file, and more particularly to a new and improved fastener including a base having spaced prongs at its ends adapted to extend through apertures in the papers and a compressor having similarly spaced apertures adapted to receive said prongs, the ends of the latter being adapted to be bent downwardly toward each other over said compressor and be held in place by sliding latches.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener with novel means for holding the sliding latches interlockingly secured to the ends of the bent down prongs.

Another object is to provide novel means in the compressor inwardly of the apertures to detachably hold the latches inwardly of the bent down prongs, in position for adjustment over said prongs.

Another object is to provide novel means in the compressor to yieldingly limit the inward travel of the latches.

Another object is to provide novel means spaced inwardly from the apertures to limit the outward travel of the latches, to prevent them from sliding over the apertures.

Another object is to provide the latches and prongs with co-acting means to hold them against accidental separation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple in operation, and efficient in use.

The foregoing and such other objects of the invention as will more fully appear hereinafter as the description proceeds, will be more readily understood from a perusal of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the fastener, embodying features of the invention, showing it binding a stack of papers together.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the improved fastener shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of fastener.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Paper fasteners of the type comprising a base having spaced prongs adapted to pass through apertures in papers, and a compressor having registering apertures adapted to receive said prongs, in some instances are provided with latches for sliding over the prongs after the latter are bent fiat on the compressor. In such devices the latches are, in some instances, arranged to slide inwardly off from the prongs, but no suitable means is provided to detachably hold said latches in adjusted position on the ends of the prongs.

In the style of fastener having latches arranged to slide inwardly off from the ends of the prongs, no means is provided to hold them inwardly ofi of the prongs nor to restrict their inward travel. Consequently, either or both of the latches commonly have to be adjusted before they can be slid over the prongs, which results in inconvenience and waste of time. Also either or both of the latches frequently slide off from the prongs outwardly over the compressor apertures, thereby permitting the prongs to spring upwardly at the ends. The improved fastener is designed to overcome the foregoing objections and disadvantages.

The present invention is claimed in my Canadian Patent No. 331,205, filed May 13, 1932, issued March 28, 1933.

The fastener shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a base i 8 provided on its ends with spaced prongs l2 adapted'to pass through similarly spaced perforations or apertures IS in the file papers I 4. The prongs [2 preferably are substantially less in width than the body of the base, and are struck up substantially at right angles thereto. These prongs also preferably are formed with outwardly struck projections or teats I5, adjacent their free ends, for a purpose that will hereinafter appear. The base II is adapted to be positioned to lie flush against the bottom of the pile or stack of file papers [4. The compressor I6 is formed with novelly shaped perforations, apertures, or slots I! in opposite ends for receiving the prongs l2 and projections l5, after said prongs have been passed through said papers and is adapted to lie against the top of the stack.

A pair of spaced parallel guides or tracks l8 are formed along the longitudinal sides of the compressor it. These guides preferably are in the form of ribs, and serve to reinforce the compressor against bending. They preferably are tapered sharply toward said compressor at the ends to effect a finish. These guides also serve to confine the prongs I 2 laterally, when the latter are bent toward each other over and against the compressor It. The guides l8 preferably are spaced inwardly of the side margins of the compressor, which are raised or elevated from the bottom of the compressor to constitute runways l9 for the latches.

Two latches 2| extend transversely of the compressor and are mounted for sliding along the guides l8 between stops 20. The ends of the latches 2| preferably are bent downwardly and inwardly under the runways I9 to provide grooved shoe portions for retaining them on the compressor. The elevated runways I9 insure sufficient clearance for said downturned ends to clear the top surface of the file papers 14. The latches 2i preferably are yieldably and detachably held substantially at the center of the compressor, whereby the bending over of the prongs l2 against the compressor 16, after their being inserted through apertures ii, may be accomplished without interference with or adjustment of said latches.

The latches 2| are held in that position by suitable projections 22 formed in the compressor to co-operate with and yieldably engage in holes 23 provided in said latches. Free movement of either latch 2| inwardly from an end of the compressor beyond the center is retarded by a suitable stop 24-, preferably formed by striking up a portion of the body of the compressor. This stop 24 may be rounded on its upper edges and it may extend slightly above the bottom plane of the intermediate or bridge-like portions of the latches, whereby said latches may be forcibly urged over said stop to accommodate bases having extremely long overlapping prongs. After the prongs have been folded or bent over the compressor the latches 21 are moved outwardly along the compressor over said prongs, until the holes 21 are engaged with the projections of said prongs to yieldably hold said latches against further movement in either direction.

The form of invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is substantially the same as the form illustrated in Figs. land 2. In the fastener shown in Figs. 3 and 4, guides in the form of longitudinal ribs are dispensed with, and the longitudinal edges of the compressor 3| are turned upwardly and inwardly to provide guides 25 adapted to receive and confine the ends or shoe portions 26 of the bridgelike latches 21. Upwardly struck detent portions 28 on the latches provide recesses on the under side to co-operate with the projections or teats l5 and 22 for frictionally and detachably limiting unintended movement of said latches. Outward movement of the latches beyond the apertures I! is prevented by stops 29 preferably formed by depressing the guides 25 inwardly of said apertures.

The improved fasteners, as described, provide means for holding the latches substantially at the center of the compressor while the compressor is detached, and upon attachment of the base the prongs may be bent down fiat thereon, and the latches slid to interlocking position over the prongs to prevent them from inadvertently sliding off the ends of the prongs irrespective of thelength of the bent down portions of the prongs or the position of the file of papers, but may be selectively released.

I claim:

1. A fastener comprising, in combination, a compressor having spaced apertures one in each end, a base, the ends of said base being adapted to be inserted through said apertures and then bent inwardly towards each other against said compressor, engaging means in the ends of said base, latches slidable along said compressor outwardly towards said apertures, and means in said latches for detachably engaging said engaging means.

2. A fastener comprising, in combination, a compressor having spaced apertures one in each end, a base, the ends of said base being adapted to be inserted through said apertures and then bent inwardly towards each other against said compressor, projections on said base one adjacent each end, latches slidable along said compressor from an intermediate position inwardly of the bent down ends of the base outwardly respectively over said ends towards said apertures, and means in said latches for detachably engaging said projections.

3. A fastener comprising, in combination, an elongated compressor having spaced apertures one in each end, a flat elongated base having spaced prongs one on each end, a projection on the free end of each prong, said prongs being adapted to be inserted through said apertures and then bent inwardly towards each other against said compressor, opposed guide flanges formed along the longitudinal edges of said compressor and spaced vertically therefrom, depressions in said guide flanges inwardly of said apertures forming stops, a pair of latches including a bridge-like portion mounted on the compressor for movement between said stops outwardly over the bent prongs, and a recess in the bottom face of the bridge-like portion for yieldingly engaging the projection of the related prong.

4. A fastener comprising, in combination, a compressor having spaced apertures one at each end, projections in said compressor inwardly of the apertures, a stop between said projections, a base, prongs on said base adapted to be inserted through said apertures and then bent down against said compressor, projections one on the end of each prong, and latches slidable along said compressor one between said stop and each aperture for selective engagement with the associated projections.

5. A fastener comprising, in combination, a compressor having spaced apertures one at each end, a stop in said compressor between said apertures, a base having prongs one at each end adapted to extend through said apertures and then be bent inwardly toward each other against said compressor, projections one on the end of each of said prongs, longitudinal guides on said compressor, stops formed in said guides at each end of said compressor inwardly of said apertures, latches overlying said guides slidable between said stops, and means in said latches for detachably engaging said projections.

6. In a paper fastener, in combination, a compressor, a projection on said compressor substantially midway between its ends, a latch guided along opposite sides of said compressor, a recess in said latch for detachably engaging said projection, and a stop in said compressor adjacent said projection.

'7. A fastener comprising, in combination, a flat elongated base having two longitudinally spaced prongs adapted to be bent upwardly into substantial parallelism, raised projections on the free ends of said prongs, a flat elongated compressor having two longitudinally spaced apertures for said ends of said prongs to pass through, said apertures being of such form and size that said projections can also pass therethrough, said prongs being adapted to be bent downwardly toward each other against the top of said compressor, two latches slidably mounted on said compressor for movement respectively over the free ends of the downwardly bent portions of said prongs to retain the latter against said compressor, each of said latches having means movable into latching engagement with the projection on the associated underlying prong, and a medial stop on said compressor between its longitudinal edges to limit the inward movement of said latches.

8. A paper fastener comprising a base with bendable prongs at the ends, a compressor with apertures at its ends to receive the prongs, the sides of the compressor being bent over to form guide-ways which are closed at the ends of the compressor, latches slidable in the guide-ways from end to end, the latches having a raised central portion to bridge the prongs, the latches each having an upwardly punched part of material height to form a finger piece for sliding the latch, and each prong having a punched portion to form a projection to fit in the recess on the under side of the raised portion of the latch, the raised portion of each latch holding a prong down on the compressor whereby the resiliency of the bridgelike latch holds the latch in place on the projection of a prong and which resiliency is overcome when a latch is moved into or out of latching position.

9. A paper fastener comprising a base with bendable prongs at the ends, a compressor with apertures at its ends to receive the prongs, said prongs being adapted to be bent inwardly towards each other against the compressor, a projection on the end of each prong, longitudinal guides on the sides of the compressor, latches slidable on said guides from an intermediate position between the ends of the bent down prongs outwardly respectively toward said apertures over said prongs to hold the latter down against said compressor, stops in said guides to restrain said latches from movement outwardly beyond said apertures, and the latches each having a hole therein providing a recess adapted to move into interlocking engagement with the projection on the underlying prong.

10. A locking member for paper fastener compressors comprising, a bridge portion for sliding the member on the compressor, an upwardly extending imperforate locking boss portion formed spacedly between the edges of the bridge portion, the boss portion having a downwardly facing locking recess therein for locking the member,

and shoe portions formed at each end of the bridge portion for slidably supporting the member.

11. A locking member for paper fastener compressors comprising, a substantially flat bridge portion, an opening formed in the bridge portion spacedly between the edges thereof, and grooved shoe portions formed at each end of the bridge portion for slidably supporting the mem- 55 ber on the compressor.

12. A paper fastener comprising a base with bendable prongs at the ends, a compressor with spaced apertures to receive the prongs, the ends of said prongs being bent inwardly toward each other against the compressor, the compressor having its longitudinal edges folded over to form guide-ways; and bridge-like latches with the ends sliding in the guide-ways and the central portion elevated to pass over the prongs, said latches being movable from an intermediate position inwardly of the bent down ends of the prongs outwardly respectively over said ends toward said apertures, the guide-ways having pinched ends to limit the movement of the latches, and the prongs having their upper faces and the central elevated portion of the latches having their lower faces formed to provide interlocking elements to yieldingly hold the latches at the ends of the prongs.

13. A paper fastener comprising a base with bendable prongs at the ends, a compressor with spaced apertures to receive the prongs, the compressor having its longitudinal edges folded over to form guide-ways, bridge-like latches with the ends slidable in the guide-ways and the central portion elevated to pass over the prongs, the guide-ways having pinched ends to limit outward movement of the latches, the prongs having their upper faces and the latches having their lower faces formed to provide engaging elements to yieldingly hold the latches at the ends of the prongs, and means in the compressor between said guide-ways to limit inward movement of the latches.

14. A paper fastener having, in combination, a base with spaced prongs, a compressor having spaced apertures adapted to receive said prongs, said prongs being adapted to be bent downwardly against said compressor, latches secured to said compressor for longitudinal sliding movement respectively over said prongs, and complemental co-acting means formed on said prongs adjacent their free ends and on said latches to provide interlocking elements to yieldingly hold said latches in position over the ends of said prongs.

15. A paper fastener having, in combination, a base with spaced prongs, a compressor over which said prongs are adapted to be bent, latches secured to said compressor for longitudinal sliding movement respectively over said prongs, and complemental co-acting means formed on said prongs adjacent their free ends and on said latches to provide interlocking elements to yieldingly hold said latches in position over the ends of said prongs.

DANIEL A. BRENNAN. 

